Aromatic and expressive, with a clear floral bouquet up front. Juicy watermelon and cherry syrup define the cup, supported by a soft vanilla sweetness and a silky, rounded body.
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Producer: Stuardo Coto
Region:San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta, San Marcos, Guatemala
Harvest: Spring 2025
*this coffee was vac-packed at origin to preserve freshness
Varietal(s): Gesha
Process: Anaerobic Natural Process
Altitude: 1,500 masl
Agtron Gourmet Color: 105 (light)
Exporter: Panorama Coffee
Importer: Panorama Coffee
Finca El Platanillo has been in the Coto family since 1977. When Stuardo Coto took over in 1985, he began refining the farm around a simple idea: let the land dictate the decisions. With higher-than-average rainfall and a demanding microclimate, not every varietal performs well here. Instead of planting broadly, Stuardo established a varietal garden of nearly 150 selections, evaluating each for yield, adaptation, and most importantly, cup quality. Only the varieties that succeed across all three are planted at scale.
Sustainability is approached with the same discipline. In recent years, El Platanillo has expanded its natural processing program to reduce water use without compromising quality. Farming and processing decisions are informed by ongoing collaboration with respected agronomists and coffee scientists. Today, Samuel Coto, Stuardo's son, oversees quality control, cupping and documenting each lot and using that information to determine farm management decisions.
Harvest is guided by brix measurements, with sugar content benchmarks set for each varietal. After picking, cherries rest for in an anaerobic environment for 24 hours before being sorted and moved to raised beds for 30 to 35 days of drying. Early in the drying phase, the coffee is turned frequently to ensure even moisture loss and controlled fermentation.Final density and optical sorting at the family owned Subeneficio dry mill prepare the coffee for export.
El Platanillo operates with a clear framework: test thoroughly, measure carefully, and let quality determine what moves forward.
Gesha, the world's most storied and sought after coffee varietal, traces it's roots to the Gori Gesha coffee forest in Ethiopia where it grew native and wild possibly for millennia before being identified as a potential varietal for commercial cultivation in the 1930's. Upon this identification, seeds were collected and sent to the Tengeru Coffee Research Station in Tanzania where the varietal was planted and stabilized.
In 1953 Gesha seeds were sent to Costa Rica and the varietal spread to other Latin American countries throughout the 1960's. Though, due to the variety's low production it was not a favored varietal until the rise of specialty coffee in the early 2000's.
After a Panamanian Gesha from the Peterson family received, a then world record price of, $350/lb at the Best of Panama competition in 2005 a new light was shined on Gesha for its potential cup quality and resulting high value.
In subsequent years the varietal has been planted throughout Latin America, Africa and Aisa by quality-focused producers looking to tap into the super-premium and botique coffee markets. It's typical for a Gesha varietal to break worldwide price records year after year with the most recent price record broken in 2024 by the Lamastus family, also in Panama, for a Gesha that sold at auction for $6,034/lb.
The flavor profile and the high demand for the somewhat rare availability of Gesha are the main drivers of the incredibly high prices. In the cup, Gesha is known for an incredible and complex flavor profile focused on floral and citrus aromas. This usually presents itself as jasmine, lime, tropical fruit, tea, honey, melon. The aroma if a truly great Gesha is intoxicating and should not be missed by any coffee lover.
This is an anaerobic natural process coffee. In recent years, Finca El Platanillo has focused on increasing the production of natural process coffees in order to minimize water usage on the farm.
Before harvesting, farm managers measure the brix levels (sugar content) in the cherries. Each varietal on the farm has specific brix level standards for proper harvest time.
After harvest, the coffee is rested for 48 hours in cherry in a closed, anaerobic environment. After resting, the coffee is sorted to remove under and overripe cherries and any other visible defects. It is then moved to raised drying beds where it dries for approximately 30-35 days (weather dependent). During the first three days of drying, the coffee is moved on the drying beds, 3 times per hour. During days 4-7 the coffee is moved every half hour. From day 8 until drying is complete the coffee is moved once per hour. This ensures even and proper drying.
San Marcos was the first region in Guatemala planted in coffee. It is a region dominatd by volcanoes and, with a strong influence from the Pacific Ocean, it is the warmest and wettest coffee region in the country. These conditions lead to coffee from the region being known for its bright acidity, good body and pleasing sweetness.
Heavy and unpredictable rains during harvest season make drying difficult and dictate that producers in the region make proper accommodations for drying coffee to ensure high quality produciton.
